1. Field of the Invention
Generally, embodiments of the present invention relate to handles for use in carrying bags capable of containing sports equipment. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to handles for golf bags.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the sporting goods industry, bags for containing and transporting sports equipment are well known. Particularly, in the sport of golf, golf bags are utilized for holding and transporting golf clubs, golf balls, golf tees, and other golf equipment. The user utilizes the golf bag to carry the golf equipment from one place to another.
A typical golf bag 10, which is shown in FIG. 1, includes multiple rigid support bars (not shown) located parallel to one another at a distance from one another. The support bars, which are connected at one end to a base 11 and at the other end to a top divider section 12 of the golf bag 10, perform as the structural supports for the golf bag 10. Other golf bags (not shown) possess alternate types of structural supports for the golf bags, including polytubes/sheets of plastic. The base 11 is usually constructed from a rigid material, such as plastic, and is used as the resting point for the golf bag 10 on the ground when the golf bag 10 is placed on the ground. The top divider section 12 of the golf bag 10 is typically divided into multiple sections to allow the user to separate the golf clubs placed within the golf bag 10 from one another as desired.
Extending around the support bars of the typical golf bag 10 is a bag portion 13 which often is constructed from a cloth material. The bag portion 13 of the golf bag 10 is connected to the top divider section 12 at its upper end and connected to the base 11 at its lower end. In between the base 11 and the top divider section 12 of the golf bag 10, one or more pockets 14, 15 are connected to the outside of the bag portion 13 to allow the user to house golf balls, tees, and other golf equipment within the pockets 14, 15.
Golf bags customarily include a stand 16, one or more shoulder straps 17, 20 (see FIGS. 5 and 6), and a handle 18 thereon. FIG. 1 shows a representative stand 16. The stand 16, which when activated allows the golf bag 10 to stand generally upright and in place without human or any other outside support, is connected to the outside of the bag portion 13 of the golf bag 10. One variation of the stand 16 consists of three rigid stand legs (not shown in FIG. 1). Usually, this stand 16 acts as a tripod, so that when the golf bag 10 is being lifted by the user, the three stand legs are pivoted inward and disposed substantially in line with one another and in line with and proximate to the bag portion 13. In contrast, when the stand 16 is activated to support the golf bag 10, two of the stand legs are pivoted outward with respect to the remaining leg, and the golf bag 10 is supported in an angled position by the three stand legs in cooperation. To activate the stand 16, the two legs are pivoted outward by the user with respect to the remainder of the golf bag 10.
The shoulder strap 17, 20, which is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, allows a user 19 to carry the golf bag 10 by resting the shoulder strap 17, 20 on one or more of his or her shoulders. Conventionally, the shoulder strap 17, 20 is constructed from a flexible cloth material. The shoulder strap 17, 20 is connected at its upper end to the bag portion 13 near the top divider section 12 and at its lower end to a mid-section of the bag portion 13 of the golf bag 10, so that the shoulder strap 17, 20 runs substantially parallel to the support bars (not shown) located within the golf bag 10. The shoulder strap 17, 20 of the typical golf bag 10 comes in one of two configurations. In the first configuration of the shoulder strap 17, shown in FIG. 5, a single strap extends between the two connected portions of the shoulder strap 17 to the bag portion 13. This configuration allows the user 19 to carry the golf bag 10 on one shoulder and at a side of the user's body.
In a second configuration, shown in FIG. 6, the shoulder strap 20 enables the user 19 to transport the golf bag 10 by placing portions of the shoulder strap 20 on both shoulders, thereby allowing the user 19 to carry the golf bag 10 on his or her back. The shoulder strap 20 is placed around both shoulders of the user 19 so that the user 19 may distribute the load of the golf bag 10 like a backpack.
To enable the user to carry the golf bag 10 by gripping a portion of the golf bag 10 with his or her hand, the typical golf bag handle 18 is connected to the outside of the bag portion 13 of the golf bag 10 as shown in FIGS. 1-6. Usually, the golf bag handle 18, which is constructed from a cloth material or other soft type of material, is disposed in line with the shoulder strap 17, 20 and also in line with the support bars (not shown) located within the golf bag 10. The location of the customary golf bag handle 18 on the bag portion 13 is between the top divider section 12 and the base 11 of the golf bag 10. The golf bag handle 18 is usually connected to the bag portion 13 using a soft, webbed connection and at a location below the top divider section 12 at about one-third of the distance between the top divider section 12 and the base 11 of the golf bag 10, as shown in FIGS. 1-6. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1, an upper end 23 of the typical golf bag handle 18 is located on the bag portion 13 at a distance D1 from the top divider section 12 of approximately 4-5 inches, while a lower end 25 of the golf bag handle 18 is located on the bag portion 13 at a distance D2 from the top divider section 12 of approximately 9-10 inches.
Prior art golf bags are disadvantageous because the location of the golf bag handle 18 on the golf bag 10 and the angle of location of the golf bag handle 18 with respect to the golf bag 10 result in discomfort to the user 19, as depicted in FIGS. 1-6. First, the location of the golf bag handle 18 on the golf bag 10 provides discomfort to the user 19 while the user 19 is carrying the golf bag 10 using the handle 18. FIG. 2 shows the typical golf bag 10 being carried by the user 19 with the handle 18. A user's arm 26 is shown in the typical user's carrying position. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the undesirable weight distribution of the golf bag 10 when golf clubs 27 are located in the golf bag 10 causes the front end of the golf bag 10, e.g., the portion of the golf bag 10 having the top divider portion 13, to rest at a lower position than the rear end of the golf bag 10, e.g., the portion of the golf bag 10 having the base 11, when the user 19 is carrying the golf bag 10 using the handle 18 in the normal, comfortable carrying position. In fact, as shown in FIG. 3, the typical distribution of weight when the user 19 is carrying the golf bag 10 by the golf bag handle 18 in the comfortable carrying position is 60/40, where approximately 60% of the load of the golf bag 10 is disposed on the front portion of the golf bag 10 and approximately 40% of the load of the golf bag 10 is disposed on the rear portion of the golf bag 10, where the front and rear portions are divided by a line L through an approximate center of the golf bag handle 18. Thus, because of the weight distribution of the golf bag 10 with respect to the golf bag handle 18, in the comfortable carrying position for the user 19, the golf clubs 27 are in danger of falling out from the front of the golf bag 10, possibly resulting in damage to the golf clubs 27.
To prevent the golf clubs 27 from falling out of the golf bag 10, the user 19 therefore must bend his or her arm 26 at the elbow to elevate the front end of the golf bag 10 relative to the rear end of the golf bag 10. This carrying position assumed by the user 19 is uncomfortable and not ergonomic.
Second, the location of the golf bag handle 18 on the golf bag 10 is disadvantageous because the handle 18 is not in a fixed location relative to the golf bag 10. The flexible nature of the handle 18, as well as the flexible nature of the cloth material of the bag portion 13 to which the handle 18 is attached, allow the handle 18 to move relative to the remainder of the golf bag 10. Therefore, the load distribution of the golf bag 10 is not readily predicable and adjustable by the user 19 while carrying the golf bag 10, and even if the user 19 is capable of adjusting the load of the golf bag 10, the user 19 will not ultimately upon adjustment be carrying the golf bag 10 in the optimal, comfortable carrying position of the arm 26 illustrated in FIG. 2.
The location of the golf bag handle 18 on the golf bag 10 is further disadvantageous when the user 19 is transferring the golf bag 10 between carrying positions. First, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the user 19 must at multiple times while golfing and/or carrying the golf bag 10 remove the golf bag 10 from his or her shoulder to either place the golf bag 10 on the ground or to change carrying modes by gripping the handle 18 by his or her hand. The location of the handle 18 forces the user 19 to bend his or her arm 26 backward and further bend the arm 26 at the elbow to transfer the load of the golf bag 10 from the shoulder of the user 19 to the hand of the user 19. This backward bending of the arm 26 is uncomfortable and not ergonomic for the user 19. This same discomfort results when the user 19 transfers the golf bag 10 from gripping with his or her hand on the handle 18 to placing the golf bag 10 on his or her shoulder with the shoulder strap 17.
Additionally, the location of the handle 18 is disadvantageous when the user 19 must transfer the golf bag 10 from both shoulders to the hand-carrying position obtained by the hand gripping the handle 18 or must transfer the golf bag 10 from both shoulders to the ground. As depicted in FIG. 6, the handle 18 is located behind the back of the user 19 and forces the user 19 to bend the arm 26 very far backwards behind his or her back when transferring the load of the golf bag 10 from the backpack shoulder strap position to the hand-carrying position. The same discomfort for the user 19 results when transferring the load of the golf bag 10 from the hand of the user 19 to the shoulder of the user 19.
Finally, the prior art golf bag handle 18 is disadvantageous because the user 19 must crouch to pick up the prior art golf bag 10 by the handle 18 or to activate the stand 16 when the golf bag 10 is resting on a surface. FIG. 4 illustrates this uncomfortable position for the user 19 when bending down to pick up the golf bag 10 by the handle 18 or to activate the stand 16. Activation of the stand 16 of the typical golf bag 10 requires the user 19 to rest his or her hand(s) on the top of the golf bag 10 and to push to activate the stand 16, which requires the user 19 to crouch or bend to activate the stand 16.
It is therefore desirable to provide a golf bag having a golf bag handle which allows for ergonomically pleasing and comfortable carrying of the golf bag by the user. It would be further advantageous to provide a golf bag handle for a golf bag which allows for comfortable and ergonomic carrying and transporting of the golf bag while the arm of the user is in the optimal position and the golf bag is carried by placing the user's hand in the golf bag handle. Moreover, it is desirable to provide a golf bag handle which allows for comfortable and ergonomic carrying and transporting of the golf bag while the user is carrying the golf bag using the handle with the user's arm in the optimal carrying position without the golf clubs falling from the golf bag.
It is also desirable to provide a golf bag handle which provides a favorable load distribution of the golf bag for comfortable carrying of the golf bag when the user is transporting the golf bag with the user's hand gripping the handle with the user's arm in the optimal carrying position.
It is further desirable to provide a golf bag handle which permits comfortable and ergonomic transferring of the golf bag from a first position where the load is supported on one or more of the user's shoulders with the shoulder strap to a second position where the load is supported by the user's hand in the handle. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a golf bag handle which allows for comfortable and ergonomic transferring of the golf bag from the second position to the first position.
It is further desirable to provide a golf bag handle which is sufficiently anchored to the golf bag to allow for comfortable carrying of the load of the golf bag using the handle.
It is additionally desirable to provide a golf bag handle with which the user may pick up the golf bag when the stand is activated or with which the user may activate the stand of the golf bag without crouching.